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New Philippine government plans review of coal power projects, push for renewables

Thursday, June 2, 2016 - 09:56

The new Philippine administration needs to review dozens of coal-fired power projects now underway or still on the drawing board as it seeks increased use of renewable energy, the country's incoming economic planning chief said.

PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

[MANILA] The new Philippine administration needs to review dozens of coal-fired power projects now underway or still on the drawing board as it seeks increased use of renewable energy, the country's incoming economic planning chief said.

"We need to revisit those projects and I think we probably should not push too many coal-fired plants because they are bad especially for communities where power plants are built," President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's choice for economic planning minister, Ernesto Pernia, said.

Speaking on Thursday in a live interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Pernia said: "We are supposed to gradually, in due time, move toward more renewable energy."

Some of the Philippines' biggest companies, including San Miguel Corp, Aboitiz Power Corp and Manila Electric Co, are planning to increase their power generation portfolio by building more coal-fired power plants.